Unique to the South Pacific, Tonga is the only country in the region that was never colonized. The Kingdom of Tonga consists of 176 islands with a history dating back over 3,000 years - the monarchy has been in place for over 1,000 years. Captain James Cook arrived here in 1776 and gave Tonga the nickname “the Friendly Islands”. The actual translation of Nuku’alofa is “Abode of Love”. The people here are genuinely happy as they greet you with a hello and a smile.
This is our second visit here over a 10 year period, so a few changes but more or less the same as far as structures are concerned. The first time we visited we took a HAL tour to FaFa island, which was just spectacular but did take most of our day. So with that we took a late, relaxed start and headed into the town which was only a few steps away. Today was hot, hot, hot and humid, step outside and start dripping kind of day. We did visit the main market and a few sites but by about 11:30 it was time for a beer break at the beautiful, small, boutique hotel and restaurant, Sea Breeze Inn. Not great wifi but good cold beer at not a bad price. From here we attempted the beaches close by but for this particular beach you really need to have water shoes as it was rocky with lots of coral. With the heat sinking in once again it was time for some quick local retail therapy before heading back to the ship for a 2 pm lunch and a dip in the pool. If you are visiting here there are plenty of taxis just outside the terminal that could give you a good 2 to 4 hour tour. There are plenty of beaches outside the city with great opportunities for swimming and snorkeling as well as the famous blowholes at Hufangalupe Beach, some of the most dramatic in the South Pacific. Negotiate a price that you are good with but make sure that this does include all the sites that you would like to see. The local bus here is not recommended for a cruise stop as they are not on a fixed schedule, island time really exists here.
Tonight we had guest entertainer and singer Annie Frances at our table, so a wonderful night of chatting, catching up a bit more and a great meal of course. Annie will be performing again one more time tomorrow, we look forward to her as always, very entertaining show. A few pics of our day, hope you enjoy…
Quote of the day - “There is but one coward on earth, and he is the coward that dare not to know.” - W.E.B. Du Bois
BTW - We have received a letter tonight from the Captain regarding a major itinerary change as a result of the Covid-19 virus. More on that later…
I see that you have a stop in NZ at Waitangi. I don’t know if you have been there before, if not, don’t mist the visit at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. It is just a walking distance from the landing. I was even name Chief of the visitors, what a great show and history we had sitting in the front row in the center. We had the privileged the have the great great son of one of the chief Who was one the chief’s who sign that historical treaty. We learn so much from him.
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